


Stirring the Embers

by TalentlessYetPersistent



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Firefighter AU, Mostly Fluff, mild violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-15 18:52:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19301725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TalentlessYetPersistent/pseuds/TalentlessYetPersistent
Summary: Ruby is a young firefighter at Vale’s Engine Company #4. Weiss is an EMT newly transferred to the station from Atlas. As the two become closer, they become caught up in a turf war between rival gangs. Can Ruby and Weiss help Detectives Yang Xiao Long and Blake Belladonna solve the string of arson and violence?Real world firefighter AU, mostly WhiteRose fluff with slight ReNora, Bumbleby, Arkos and Seamonkeys.





	Stirring the Embers

     It was a crisp, clear fall morning in the city of Vale, with birds chirping sleepily to echo from the dewdrop-laden tree branches in the park next to Engine Company 4’s firehouse, rousing the people inside from their slumber.  
     But one member of the engine company was already wide awake.  
     Seated at one of the tables in the communal kitchen, a bevy of papers and pamphlets and notecards sprawled in front of her, was the youngest member of the firefighting team, Ruby Rose. She deftly smoothed out the smudged, wrinkled checklist directly in front of her and, once again, began running through its contents:  
     Fire safety pamphlets- check. Fridge magnets listing emergency and non-emergency numbers- check. Poster board with emergency procedures in case of fire- check. “So You Want to be a Firefighter” pamphlets- check. Presentation notecards- check.  
     Seemingly satisfied, Ruby brushed a few loose strands of her shoulder length brunette hair behind her ears and picked up the notecards. She cleared her throat softly and began, once again, to practice her presentation. “Hi there! My name’s Ruby Rose, and I’m a firefighter, which-“  
     “More or less makes me a superhero.”   
     Ruby squeaked and practically jumped out of her seat, scattering her carefully organized notecards around the kitchen as the chief of the fire station entered the room and began making a fresh pot of coffee. “Honestly, Ruby, I think even I have your speech memorized by now.”  
     “Oh! Good morning, Pyrrha!” Ruby smiled nervously as she gathered up her scattered notes, hastily trying to place them back in order while still looking casual. “It’s awful early still, isn’t it? I hope I didn’t wake you up.”  
     “No, that would be the nest of cardinals in the tree by my window,” Pyrrha yawned, pausing to stretch as she retrieved two coffee mugs from the cupboard above the sink. “Why are you still awake?”  
     “Wha- How did you- Psh, I’m not _still_  awake!” Ruby laughed forcefully in an attempt to hide her guilt. “What makes you think I’m still awake?”  
     Pyrrha chuckled as she poured the fresh coffee into the sparkling white cups in front of her, adding a sinful amount of sugar and cream to Ruby’s.   
     “Well, let’s see. You were sitting here when I went to bed last night, wearing those same clothes. I just had to dump a pot of coffee that I’m guessing you made somewhere around midnight or 1 AM, a hypothesis only strengthened by how light this box of sugar cubes is,” Pyrrha playfully rattled the half-empty package in the younger girl’s direction, making her blush. “But thank you for washing your cup, even if it was mostly to cover your tracks.”  
     “It was not to cover my tracks, it’s just the polite thing to do!” Ruby huffed, crossing her arms and turning her nose in the air, eyes closed as if she couldn’t bear to even look at the indignant accusations being leveled her way. Pyrrha chuckled again as she gently moved the various papers on the table aside, placing Ruby’s coffee in front of her before taking a seat across from the younger girl. Ruby peeked one eye open and gave a sidelong glance at the steaming mug in front of her.  
     “Cream and five sugars?” She asked warily.  
     “Cream and five sugars.” The captain confirmed, a wry smile on her face. “I almost only put three sugars in to see if you would notice, but I’m feeling generous this morning.”  
     Ruby scowled as she lifted the beverage to her nose to give it an exaggerated sniff, causing Pyrrha to break out in laughter. “I promise you, all five sugars are in there. Scout’s honor.”  
     Ruby continued to scowl at her boss as she gingerly sipped the piping hot liquid, only to close her eyes in enjoyment as the sweet, smooth taste washed over her tongue and warmed her belly on the way down. She sighed contentedly, placing the mug back on the table. “Thanks Pyrrha.”  
     “Don’t mention it.” The captain waved before taking a sip of her own coffee, her green eyes studying Ruby over the rim of her cup.   
     “You know, Ruby, you were on call last night.” Pyrrha remarked casually after a moment, but something in her tone of voice made the hair on the back of Ruby’s neck stand up.  
     “I know. All quiet on the western front, and all that.” The younger girl replied, choosing to focus on her notecards instead of returning Pyrrha’s gaze. The captain had her boss-voice on, and that usually meant Ruby was about to get reprimanded for something.  
     “Ruby, our work is dangerous enough without adding sleep deprivation to the mix. What would have happened if there had been an emergency in the middle of the night?” Pyrrha set down her drink and placed her elbows on the table, her eyes burning a hole through the younger girl in front of her.  
     “ _Ugh_.” Ruby thought, but swallowed her annoyance. “Well, if something had happened, I guess I would have been the first one in my gear and ready to roll out.” She replied, smiling disarmingly. Finally, Pyrrha relented.  
     “It’s my job to be worried about the safety of my team, Ruby. I’m not angry, I just… want to make sure you’re rested, that’s all.” The captain replied as Ruby got up from the table, finishing her coffee in the process. Pyrrha’s eyes followed her the whole way.  
     “Okay, _mom_ ,” Ruby sighed in mock-exasperation, but as she walked by Pyrrha’s chair she winked at her boss.  
     Pyrrha reached across the table and picked up the checklist, glancing it over as Ruby rinsed out her empty mug and started making a couple slices of toast for breakfast. “My my, Ruby Rose made a _checklist_? Perhaps I should have looked out my window before coming downstairs to make sure those were birds that woke me up and not flying pigs.” The older woman laughed airily.  
     “Ha Ha,” Ruby replied forcefully from the sink, sticking out her tongue at Pyrrha as she placed the freshly washed mug in the drying rack.   
     “I’m shocked, Ruby. I’ve watched you run into burning buildings before, but a presentation at a middle school job fair has you worried?” Pyrrha teased.  
     “I’m not _worried_ , boss, I just… think it’s important, that’s all. That it’s worth taking seriously.” Ruby sat down at the table again, gathering her notes and pamphlets before tucking into her toast. “Besides, teenagers are vicious. If I mess up, they’ll eat me alive.” The young woman grinned, taking another bite of her breakfast.  
     As Ruby continued to eat, the rest of the fire station crew began filtering into the kitchen from their rooms upstairs, each offering a tired word of greeting on their way to the coffee pot. Jaune, one of the EMTs, flopped into the chair next to Pyrrha, mug in hand. “Morning, boss.” he mumbled, taking another drink.  
     “Hello again,” Pyrrha beamed in a sing-songy voice, her smile faltering slightly when her chipper greeting failed to elicit a response in kind. “Look alive, Jaune! It’s a big day!” She playfully punched the scraggly blond, causing his eyes to flutter open in surprise.  
     “Uh… Wednesday?” He asked groggily.  
     “No, silly! Well… yes. It is Wednesday. But more importantly, your new coworker arrives from Atlas! In fact, her plane should be landing this afternoon-“  
     “Wait, it’s only Wednesday?” Ruby interjected.  
     “Sure is, Rubes,” Sun called over his shoulder from the stove where he was cooking eggs and bacon.  
     “So I stayed up all night preparing for this presentation for no reason?! It’s not until tomorrow!” Ruby threw her hands up in exasperation.  
     “Well… That’s one way of looking at it. But think of it this way- now you can get a good night’s rest before the presentation!” Pyrrha smiled gently.  
     “Yeah, maybe you can sleep away the bags under your eyes,” Sun grinned wickedly, bumping Ruby’s chair with his hip as he placed plates of food in front of his coworkers. “Ow, hey, it was just a joke Rubes!”  
     “I’m going to sleep. Wake me up if something burns down.” Ruby stomped up the stairs, leaving Sun standing over her chair, rubbing the rapidly forming bruise on his right arm.

     “ _Red like roses fills my dreams and leads me to the place you rest…_ ”  
     Ruby groggily reached for her cell phone to shut off her alarm. She knew better than to sleep any later than she already had, otherwise she would risk being unable to sleep again tonight. Ruby was naturally a night owl, and it was a hard fought battle over several years to acclimate her natural sleep schedule to the rhythms of the rest of the world. Two all nighters in a row could completely erase years of the progress she’d made. Still, the measly four hours she had slept didn’t feel like nearly enough.  
     Alarm silenced, Ruby dropped her phone on her chest and closed her burning eyes once again. Her breathing steadily grew deeper and slower but after a moment, she violently shook herself awake and sat up on the edge of her bed.  
     “Nope. Can’t. Wanna, but I can’t.” She mumbled, running her fingers through her messy hair. With a deep, resigned sigh, Ruby heaved herself off the bed and sleepily made her way to the bathroom for a quick shower.  
     After her shower, she dressed herself in a comfortable old pair of jeans and a faded t-shirt with the Engine Company’s logo -two crisscrossed fire axes with olive branches underneath and one large tongue of flame behind the axes- emblazoned on the back before heading downstairs. The noises drifting from the kitchen were a little more lively than usual- generally the staff spent time playing cards at the table or watching tv in the common room between emergencies and mealtimes, but now the fire station was filled with the sound of furniture scraping on floors and the gentle murmur of her coworkers’ voices.  
     As she turned the corner to enter the kitchen, she was greeted by the sight of the entire fire station crew, even those not on call today, bustling around the room. Yatsuhashi and Fox were busy rearranging tables and chairs, while Nora and Pyrrha were on ladders hanging a banner in the large arched entranceway from the common room to the kitchen. Jaune and Sun were putting up balloons and even some of the members’ significant others were there; Ren and Neptune were busying themselves preparing food.  
     “Aw man, whose birthday did I forget?” Ruby whined. Her stomach rumbled loudly at the delicious smells wafting through the firehouse, and she ruefully thought about the eggs and bacon she had left behind earlier. A few chuckles came from various corners of the room.  
     “We’re getting a new team member today, remember?” Pyrrha said, placing the last thumbtack in place to hold up the banner before climbing down from the ladder. “I thought Ms. Schnee deserved a warm welcoming party on her first day as a member of Vale’s Engine Company number 4.”  
     “The _best_ Company!” Nora interjected, eliciting a chant of “Hoo-RAH!” from the men in the room and a brief eye-roll from the captain.  
     “Anyway, like I was saying,” Pyrrha continued, picking up a stack of tablecloths from the kitchen counter and handing them to Fox. “Weiss is our new EMT. Her plane should be landing in Vale in a couple of hours.”  
     “What I don’t understand is why someone from Atlas of all places would move to little old Vale for a job as an EMT.” Sun remarked, tying off another cluster of red and white balloons to a table leg. “Other than the brutal winters, I guess.”  
     “Well, why not ask her when she gets here?” Neptune waggled his eyebrows and gently ribbed his elbow into Sun’s arm as he passed by to place the silverware on the table. Sun gritted his teeth.  
     “Ow, babe, watch it!” He hissed, rubbing his bruised arm. “And watch out for Ruby’s left hook while you’re at it.”  
     “Ruby,” Neptune leveled a stern glance at the young woman, who blushed and smiled nervously “Did you punch my boyfriend? And more importantly, did he deserve it?” He grinned, ruffling Sun’s curly blond locks. Sun scowled and made an over exaggerated show of slapping Neptune’s hands away  
     “You’re supposed to be on my side, butthead.” Sun skulked, fixing his hair.  
     “Well he kinda did?” Ruby raised her eyebrows. “But I’m pretty sure I was just being a jerk. Sorry, Sun.” She stuck her hand out, which he immediately accepted. “Truce?”  
     “Yeah, truce.” The two shared a brief smile. “Besides, I should have known better to poke a sleeping bear. Or a sleep deprived bear, I guess.” Laugher rang through the kitchen.  
     “A bear? Nah, Ruby would definitely be a dog if she were an animal.” Nora pondered, a finger pressed to her chin. “But like, a dog that was somehow a puppy forever.”  
     “You…. Had that answer like, _really_ quick, Nora.” Sun looked at the short redhead, slight concern showing on his face.  
     “She thinks about stuff like that all the time. I’m surprised you’ve never noticed.” Ren said, pouring the now-cooked pasta into a strainer. He transferred the noodles into a baking pan and began adding sauce.  
     “Oh, we’ve noticed.” Pyrrha smirked, smoothing out the tablecloth she had just finished laying out. “In fact, I’m surprised anything that comes out of Nora’s mouth can catch you off guard anymore, Sun. I barely even register things like that as weird anymore.”  
     Nora huffed, folding up the ladders she and Pyrrha had used to hang the banner. “Like you guys never think about what kind of animal people would be.”  
     “I mean, it’s kind of weird.” Jaune shrugged, tying balloons to the handle of the fridge.  
     “You’re calling _me_ weird as you tie _balloons_ to a _refrigerator_? _That’s_ rich.” Nora clapped the ladders together and carried them back to the garage through the common room with her nose in the air, leaving Jaune staring dejectedly at the knot he was halfway through tying.  
     “I think balloons on the fridge will be fine, Jaune.” Pyrrha smiled gently, placing a hand on his shoulder before taking a stack of napkins from a drawer.  
     “Hey Nora!” Sun called out. “Since you’ve thought about it so much, what kinda animal would I be?“  
     “You’re a lemur, or at least some kind of monkey.” She called back, her voice getting closer as she spoke. “And Yatsu’s a rhino, Pyrrha’s an owl, Neptune’s a peacock, Jaune’s a red panda, Fox is, well, a fox. And Ren’s a unicorn, because he’s one in a million.” Nora grinned, reentering the room to hug her husband from behind and plant a loud, wet kiss on his cheek.  
     “Huh,” Ruby said, scratching her head “Those are all… pretty fitting, actually.”  
     “What about you, Nora?” Pyrrha asked, leaning against the archway, arms folded.  
     “Me? That’s easy. I’m a goat!” Nora grinned proudly.  
     “A… goat?” Pyrrha looked perplexed.  
     “No, I totally see what she’s saying.” Neptune nodded sagely.  
     “She _will_ eat just about anything.” Ren confirmed.  
     At that moment, as if on cue, Ruby’s stomach grumbled again. “Ugh, is any of the food ready yet? I’m starving.”  
     “Shoulda ate your breakfast, Rubes.” Sun replied, sticking his tongue out.  
     “I’m afraid not. Weiss isn’t due to arrive for another hour and a half, and I wanted to make sure everything was still hot when she got here.” Ren replied, looking truly apologetic. “I can make you something else while we wait if you’d like?”  
     “See? Told ya, one in a million.” Nora grinned, then sighed dreamily. “I’m so lucky.”  
     “Oh no, Ren, you’re already doing so much. I’ll just go get something.” Ruby said, already crossing the station to grab her car keys from the hooks near the door.  
     “You know, Ruby, maybe you should go pick Weiss up from the airport while you’re out? I’m sure she would appreciate being spared the expense of a cab all the way here.” Pyrrha called over her shoulder from the sink where she was washing the pans Ren and Neptune had already soiled.  
     Ruby threw her head back in protest. “Ugh, it’s soooo faaaar awaaaaay.” She whined.  
     “Well, it’s either that, or you can do these dishes and mop the floors before Weiss gets here.”  
     “Alright, fiiiine. I’ll go to the airport. What gate? Should I make a sign or something?”  
     “Gate B14, I think? And yes, that would probably be wise. But hurry up, you don’t want to get held up in traffic and miss Weiss’s arrival.” Pyrrha gestured at the clock as Ruby rummaged in the drawers for paper and a marker.  
     “So, uh… how do you spell her name again?”  
     Pyrrha groaned. “It’s on the banner, Ruby.”

  
     The sudden jolt of a rough plane landing shook Weiss Schnee awake. She squinted as the lights in the cabin suddenly came on, briefly dazzling her.  
     “Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived at Vale International Airport. At this time, cell phones may be used,” The pilot droned over the intercom. “Local time is 12:24 PM, temperature is a comfortable 71 degrees with intermittent wind gusts that you no doubt felt as we were on approach.” The pilot chuckled quietly, causing Weiss to roll her eyes as she stretched in her seat.   
     “The weather forecast is clear and sunny until sunset, so if this is your final destination, go enjoy the beautiful day for me. On behalf of the flight crew, I want to welcome you to the city of Vale. Thank you for choosing Atlas Airways, and we hope that you will consider us for your future travel needs. Please remain in your seats with seatbelts fastened until we have come to a complete stop at the gate. Have a wonderful day.” The intercom fell silent with one final click as the pilot shut off his handset, replaced by the white noise of many low voices and the shuffling of belongings.  
     Weiss pulled her backpack from under the seat in front of her, digging out her cell phone and switching it on. After staring at its screen for a few minutes, it was clear that no new messages were going to show up. She sighed and stuffed the device back in her backpack.  
     After what felt like an eternity, the seatbelt sign finally turned off and the passengers began the awkward shuffle to disembark the plane. Despite the annoyance she felt at her fellow travelers(“ _Why are you walking so slow? How can you not have your things gathered before standing up to get off the plane? We had ages to prepare during the gate connection! Is this your first time flying?!_ ”) Weiss felt a giddy excitement as she stepped out into the Vale airport terminal for the first time.  
It was nothing like Atlas. There were murals and bright colors everywhere, with pop music playing softly over the intercom. To her left there was an indoor playground area where children were burning off excess energy under the watchful eye of their parents. Beyond the playground, a gigantic floor-to-ceiling window provided Weiss’s first live glimpse at the wonderful Vale skyline.  
     Even this was far different from Atlas. The Atlas skyline, while impressive and imposing, was rigidly structured and ordered. Most buildings were uniform neutral color and shape with little variance in height, all gleaming glass and steel obstructing most views of the majestic mountains that surround the northern city. Here in Vale, the city felt like it truly grew up from the ground instead of being carved from the earth. There was a certain sense of vitality, of soul, to the buildings in the distance. She had seen photos, of course- She didn’t decide to move to Vale by throwing a dart at a map, after all- but there was something about the city that photos just couldn’t accurately convey. Weiss was dying to dig into this new place, to breathe its essence and let it flow through her, to change her.  
     She continued through the terminal, her head spinning left and right to take in all the intricate artwork covering the walls and the general ambiance of the people. Even though they were in an airport(one of the least enjoyable places one could find themselves, according to Weiss), the overall mood was very friendly and upbeat.   
     For the first time in days, Weiss Schnee smiled.  
     After a brief stop at a directory display to find her flight’s baggage claim location, Weiss made her way through the rest of the airport with a spring in her step. In what seemed like no time at all, she had arrived at the carousel.  
     As more and more bags and suitcases that were not hers came tumbling down the chute, Weiss felt a small knot of worry form in her stomach. What if her luggage got lost somehow? Those three large suitcases she had left with the stern woman at the counter in the Atlas airport held nearly all of Weiss’s worldly possessions- she had sold everything else before leaving for Vale.   
     Her anxiety grew with each passing moment. What was she going to do? All of her clothes were in her suitcases. The only things in her backpack were a toothbrush, her passport, a scarf and her laptop. She glanced around the area, noting that she was pretty much the only person left standing by the carousel waiting for their bags.  
     But she wasn’t the only person. Standing next to the far wall near the exit doors was a young woman with shoulder length brown hair, holding a small sign in one hand and her phone in the other. Weiss squinted, trying to make out the words on the sign, then raised her eyebrows in surprise when she realized her own name was scrawled on the paper in slightly messy looping script.  
     Weiss glanced one more time at the empty conveyor belt, then lifted her backpack back onto her shoulders and headed towards the woman with the sign.

     “It appears you’re looking for me.”  
     The voice startled Ruby and she nearly dropped her phone. She quickly looked up, briefly locking eyes with the woman standing before her.  
     Whatever Ruby was expecting Weiss to look like, this wasn’t it. Her bright blue eyes were piercing and direct, framed by pure white hair-not silver, not platinum blonde, not grey, but white- pulled into an offset ponytail. Her pale skin and delicate features were nearly flawless, save for a thin scar over her left eye that ran from cheek to forehead. She wore a light button up blouse under her pea coat, and the overall effect of her presence was a sort of stern austerity that Ruby wasn’t quite sure what to make of.   
     “Oh, you must be Weiss!” Ruby smiled, stashing her phone in her pocket and extending her hand in greeting. “I’m Ruby, one of the firefighters at the station. Nice to meet you!”  
     “Likewise.” Weiss shook Ruby’s hand gently. “I wasn’t aware anybody was going to be meeting me at the airport.”  
     Ruby laughed and scratched her head. “Yeah, it was kind of a last minute decision. Beats paying for a cab though, right?” She folded up the sign she had made and stuffed it in her back pocket and took another glance at Weiss, noting the lack of luggage. “Where’s the rest of your stuff?”  
     Weiss sighed, glancing back at the still empty conveyor. “That is precisely what I would like to know.”  
Ruby frowned. “Well that’s not good.”  
     “Very perceptive.” Weiss muttered, still staring at the baggage claim.  
     Ruby held up her hands defensively. “Hey, I’m not the one that lost your suitcase.”  
     Weiss sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose before looking up to meet Ruby’s gaze. “I understand that. But you need to understand that those suitcases legitimately contain every single thing I own, other than the few items in my backpack. I don’t even have a change of clothes or nightwear with me.”   
     “Well, why don’t you go over to the help desk and give them the address of the station?” Ruby suggested. “I had my suitcase get lost one time coming back from Mistral, and that’s what I did. It came in on a later flight and they delivered it to my house later that night.”  
     “If it’s all the same to you, Ruby, I would really rather wait.” Weiss replied, turning back to the conveyor.  
     “Well…” Ruby scuffed her sneaker on the floor. “I’m pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to say anything about it, but everyone’s at the station right now waiting for you. They spent all morning decorating and cooking food for a surprise party.”  
     Weiss felt a small lump form in her throat. She swallowed thickly before looking back at Ruby. “A… surprise party? For me?”  
     “Well, yeah!” Ruby smiled. “Why wouldn’t we have a party for you?”  
     Weiss didn’t know how to respond. What was she supposed to say? That nobody had ever actually thrown her a party before? That she didn’t expect her new coworkers to welcome her with open arms?   
     “I guess we shouldn’t keep them waiting any longer then,” Weiss said before heading towards the help desk.

     With the address of the fire station given to the clerk at the help desk and many repeated apologies and promises to deliver the lost luggage as soon as it arrives, Weiss and Ruby set out onto the freeway in Ruby’s car.   
     Weiss could barely tear her eyes away from the window. The lush summer foliage had recently started changing colors throughout the city, and Weiss found it absolutely captivating.  
     “I know it’s not as impressive as Atlas, but Vale is a pretty town, especially this time of year. You came at the right time.” Ruby said, unable to suppress a smile at Weiss’s awe. The serious, no-nonsense woman she had met not half an hour earlier was now filled with childlike wonder in the passenger seat of her car.  
     “I’ll say. Vale is gorgeous. It’s what made me want to move here,” Weiss replied. “It’s pretty much the opposite of Atlas in every way. Have you ever been there?” She asked, looking over at Ruby  
     “Nope, I’ve just seen pictures.” Ruby replied as she changed lanes to pass a slow moving truck.  
     “Pictures don’t do it justice. Atlas is soulless,” She said, her voice hardening a little. “All those huge buildings you’ve seen in pictures of Ironwood Square downtown? They’re ugly and oppressive if you ask me. It’s like they’re designed to make you feel small and insignificant.” She gestured to the city streets sprawling out on either side of the freeway. “But this place feels alive. It’s amazing.”  
     Ruby smiled as the joy returned to Weiss’s voice. “If you like Vale from here, just wait til you get to really explore the city. There’s so many great shops and restaurants, and a really awesome music scene if you’re into that. And outside the city there’s such beautiful places to hike.” Ruby glanced over at Weiss. “I can’t wait for you to see Forever Fall for the first time. You wanna talk about pictures not doing something justice? That place is gonna knock your socks off.” She grinned.  
     The rest of the car ride was spent mostly in silence, with Ruby pointing out the occasional landmark or good restaurant. Before long, Ruby was pulling into the parking lot of Vale Engine Company #4.  
     “Okay, now you’ve gotta act surprised when you go in. Pyrrha will kill me if she finds out I ruined the surprise.” Ruby said as she led Weiss up the sidewalk to the front entrance and into the station. “Look,” She whispered. “They even turned off all the lights-“  
     “Surprise!!!” The lights suddenly came on as the chorus of voices swelled to greet Weiss. Ruby glanced at Weiss to make sure she looked appropriately shocked, and to her credit, Weiss was very wide eyed.  
     “Welcome to Vale Engine Company #4, Weiss!” Pyrrha smiled, stepping forward to greet the new medic with a firm handshake.  
     “The BEST company!” Nora shouted, followed by the traditional “Hoo-Rah!” of affirmation.  
     “Yeah… They do that a lot.” Ruby shrugged at the confused look Weiss was giving her.  
     Weiss took a moment to take everything in- The banner hung above the entrance with “Welcome Weiss Schnee!” written in red and gold paint, the balloons and flowers decorating the kitchen and common room, the lovely array of food and desserts on the counter- and of course, the smiling and welcoming faces of her new coworkers.  
     “Please, come in and make yourself at home.” Pyrrha gestured warmly towards the kitchen.  
     “ _Home_ ,” Weiss thought with a smile. 

 


End file.
